Are you a spelling snob?

[mykpart]

When you read a post with misspelled words, do you automatically assume the writer is stupid? Or very young? Misspelled words just seem to jump out at me, and I can't stand to read the post! Then again, I'm in therapy.

[ghostsofgiants]

1. Stupid or young? No. Lazy? Yes.

[mykpart]

3. I used to throw away resumes that had misspelled words!

[ghostsofgiants]

8. I would too

Proofreading isn't that difficult a task.

[Misunderestimator]

25. Absolutely.... no question there.

A misspelled resume is a glaring example of sloppiness. Would never hire someone who didn't take the time to proofread a resume.

[Arianrhod]

32. I still throw away resumes that have misspelled words

or poor grammar.

Learn to read, write and speak. Or don't apply to my company.

[tyedyeto]

35. Resumes and posting on internet boards are 2 different objects.

I would never consider a resume with spelling or grammar errors, but here I can ignore said errors. Why? Because many are just typing away and typos are so easy to make. Often spell check doesn't even catch the typos.

[Arianrhod]

37. I disagree.

I don't use spell-checkers. That's just another lazy person's way of remaining ignorant.

A typo is one thing. A word that is consistently and repeatedly misspelled in a post is not an error; it's ignorance.

The downward spiral of the English language is a thing to lament, not applaud.

[Arianrhod]

43. This was too harsh.

I had something else on my mind earlier, and used this thread to vent.

I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings with my carelessness.

[Heidi]

2. Not toward other people . . .

but I'm very annoyed with myself when _I_ misspell words.

[Droopy]

4. I usually hit spell check before I start a thread

because I know I'm no spelling champ. It doesn't bother me if people have misspelled words in their post. I just wonder why they didn't hit spell check.

[mykpart]

15. Spell check isn't always right.

Two, too, and to are all valid words, but it's two bad if you use one in the wrong context. Also words like for, four, who's, whose, you're, your will all pass spellcheck.

[Droopy]

19. True. I guess we need a grammar check, too.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

5. I can spell Funkenstein.

[dolo amber]

6. I'm toataly a speling snobe

:bounce:

[JimmyJazz]

11. you made a misteak - you mispelled toteally

:P

[madeline_con]

7. No, I don't assume they're stupid....

I've seen people in other forums jump on someone if they're in a heated debate and give them a hard time about a typo.

I try to get the spelling right most of the time, so that type of thing can't be used as ammo. Usually, by the time it's gone that far, the debate's over, anyway. :)

[Gemini Cat]

9. Nope.

Considering I can't spell, it would be a bit assholish of me to be a spelling snob.
I'm a math snob instead. }(

[iconoclastic cat]

10. DUers' poor spelling and grammar are the things freepers love to parody.

I would love to take that away from them. I don't ever judge anyone for it, though. Who here hasn't posted without proofreading?

[mykpart]

16. Funny, I've seen more misspellings

on freeper sites than I ever see here. And blatant grammatical errors.

[iconoclastic cat]

17. Oh, sure! I'm just saying that when I read "fake DU" posts,

the syntax is usually mangled beyond recognition.

[proud2BlibKansan]

45. But competence in written language

is very evident all over DU. It is one thing that makes this board stand out as excellent.

[Robeson]

12. Noe Ime knot.

[Tom Kitten]

13. yes

I love correct spelling, but I don't care if people misspell when they're saying something...

[NMMNG]

14. If I see an occasional misspelled word, no

But if the entire post is rife with misspellings and grammatical errors (like those at Freak Republic) I begin to wonder about the person's educational level.

[MazeRat7]

18. In what context ?

Being a bit more specific would help ? Is this language specific ? If so, define language. Do you mean written word or code, mathematics, logic ? All these require accurate "spelling" and "syntax". As an engineer, I am horrid when it comes to spelling in the english language. But then I never really tried to be good at it since it is rather limited in it's ability to express complex logical relationships.... *grin.

So no, I don't draw conclusion because someone cant spell in one niche of the communication paradigm (eg english) since there is a high probability they are rather accomplished in another.

Just my $.02

MZr7

[LastKnight]

20. nope, im a pretty bad offender, probably. nt

[JVS]

21. I don't mind an extra or missing letter occasionally, but sometimes...

people just seem to be fucking up really badly.

[Kathleen04]

22. Slightly

Incorrectly spelled words tend to jump out on me. But, I actually think that clarity is more important. When people post long blocks of text without punctuation or sentence breaks, then it is hard for me to read.

I never assume that they are young or stupid..I probably post the same way I do now as I would have when I were 10 years old..and stupid is never a fair assumption to make.

[AntiCoup2K4]

23. I'm more of a "stupidity snob" overall

A misspelled word here and there doesn't throw me off, but grammar on a 6 year old level catches me every time. Not to mention just general stupidity. I don't need to explain that. You just know it when you see it. Sometimes I wish an IQ test was mandatory before using the Internet. Let alone a voting booth.

[Robeson]

24. I agree with the stupidity "thang"....

...when I see no logic trail, is when I start thinking "freeperland".

[necso]

26. As long as I can

understand what a poster is trying to say, I don't care much about spelling, grammar or punctuation. (You can call this a defensive mechanism, if you like.) I am, however, sometimes tempted to give some poster a little tweak -- but normally I manage to suppress the urge.

Frankly, I think that making a fuss about these things could discourage some potential posters, who aren't going to evolve (here) unless they practice (here). Moreover, some allowance should be made for those who have conditions that result in misordered words and similar mistakes. And, personally, I think that insisting on maintaining certain outdated language "norms" is illiberal and counter-evolutionary. (Dumbing-down is another matter, but one that lies as much or more in other arenas, like those of (world) knowledge and understanding.)

But giving a little thought to (most of, anyway) what one posts and running a spell-checker (here or offline) not only shows a little respect for this public commons and its members, but it also makes one look better -- and it may increase one's chances of being taken seriously. And referring to a dictionary where one is uncertain about the meaning of a word or its spelling takes only a moment. (I typically keep an online dictionary open as a matter of habit, and add new words to my spell-checker dictionary daily. As a curiosity, both of these dictionaries did not recognize "misordered", although they recognized "misorder".)

[friesianrider]

27. Yes.

Guilty as charged. I know a few people who are very smart but can't spell, but I automatically assume the writer is stupid if they misspell. (or, if they write the wrong your/you're or their/there/they're)

[fleabert]

28. I say lazy or ignorant.

both of which I have been known to be as well, so I don't often correct online.

[RebelOne]

29. Whenever I see spelling, grammar and punctuation errors,

I cringe. And it is really difficult to keep myself from correcting the writer. But after all, I am a copy editor.

[pinniped]

30. I always seem to notice when it's is used in place of its.

I even saw a newspaper article use the wrong one.

A very common error.

[RebelOne]

31. That is such a common error,

but it still makes me want to scream whenever I see it.

[tyedyeto]

33. I figure most are typing errors.

And it's too easy to just hit the 'post message' button and not do a spell check when it's a short reply.

[NashVegas]

34. I Assume People Are More Lazy/Harried Than Stupid

I once received an email from a published author who himself is a highly educated, literature buff. He misspelled "they're" with "there." And that's an easy one!

I think you'll love this:

http://www.tomatonation.com/sincerely.shtml

It is too "a big deal." You don't have to know how to spell everything in the dictionary, and you don't have to have the serial-semicolon rule embroidered on a pillow, but if you have reached voting age in the United States, you need to know the basics of English usage, because if you don't, you look like an idiot. No, don't. Don't start with that "grammar Nazi" business. Don't get all "nobody gives a shit about that crap" and "it's so anal, who cares" and "well, you know what I mean." I give a shit about that crap. I know it's anal, but I care, and so do a lot of other people -- people who respect you, but might respect you less when you dash off an email to the effect of "I'll meet you their"; people in a position to give you a job, who won't because you didn't proofread your cover letter and they don't appreciate your addressing them as "Deer Ms. So-And-So." And no, in fact, I don't know what you mean when you write me a hate mail that reads, "You're site sucks," because that doesn't mean anything.

More at the link.

[hyphenate]

36. I'm afraid so--to a degree

If it looks like someone just typed quickly without a spell check, I'm okay with that--I misspell like that on occasion. I do get peeved when the misspellings are atrocious, though. But I refrain from commenting because the person could be dyslexic or have some other learning disability. If I know someone, and they misspell constantly, I will tell them, though.

I once knew this guy who wanted to be a writer. He was really determined to make his mark as a novelist or short story author. He gave me one of his stories to look at once, and it was riddled with typos and misspellings. I told him that he had better clean it up before submitting it to anyplace, and his cavalier response was that was what "editors were for." I shook my head and said that, no, that wasn't what editors were for, and most editors would never even look at a manuscript with mistakes like thosr. I don't know if he ever did get published, but unless he changed his attitude, I knew it was unlikely to happen.

[bridgit]

38. wahhh, u got'a b kid'n mi...

[billyskank]

39. Guilty as charged

:spank:

[Pool Hall Ace]

40. The only time I get snobby

is when someone consistently types in "chatspeak." Example:

soz u dont lyk it, but this isn't skool yannow? woteva, i fink u need 2 liten up a bit lol byeeeee

Actually, I don't think they would use any punctuation, but you get the idea.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

41. Poem: Eye Halve a spelling chequer.....and......

A Poem

Eye Halve a spelling chequer,
It came with my pea sea,
It plainly marques four my revue,
Miss Steaks I kin knot sea.

Eye Strike a key and type a word,
and weight four it two say,
Weather eye am wrong oar write.
It shows me straight a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid,
it nose bee four two long,
and eye can put the air rite,
It's rare lee ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it.
I am shore your pleased two no.
Its letter perfect awl the weigh--
My chequer tolled me sew.


and
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers of a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

[FizzFuzz]

42. yeah and I'm a vocabulary maven too.

Bad spelling makes me think snobby things, sad to say. (typos irritate me in a slightly obsessive way, but I don't get judgemental about it.)

Advanced vocabulary and syntactical skills make me fall in love. :loveya:

And I probably sound flamingly pedantic myself, at least on my *ahem* impressive social criticism rants. ---> :eyes:

But I can't help it, I love big werds.

[stevans_41902]

44. The thing that gets me really worked up is when people spell " a lot"

as alot. I just don't get it, but it seems like a lot of people don't understand that its never spelled as one word. As far as the spelling goes, I am fairly picky b/c whenever I don't remember how to spell a word i usually look it up in the dictionary. I try not to judge people as being stupid because I've known people who have been great at math and science but when it came to writing an English paper their grammar/spelling skills were horrible.

[FizzFuzz]

47. "irregardless" really makes me gnash my teeth.

Hah! It screams of "look at me and my big words!" Except for one teensie detail--its not a word!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

46. I'm an excellent speller...and a huge spelling snob.

Bad grammar is also one of my pet peeves. I was recently back home in Texas and saw a TV ad with Ted Nugent. :puke:

Anyway, the ad was obviously about hunting, but the text that appeared onscreen was:

"Open on Saturday's and Sunday's."

That unnecessary and incorrect apostrophe is something I've noticed very frequently in the last couple of years, and it drives me insane.

In fairness, though, I am horrible at math.

[NawlinsNed]

48. Depends...

... professionally, I expect correspondence to be written well, although some words can be a bit difficult to keep track of... like correspondence. Personally, not especially, but I HAVE stopped dating someone before because her emails to me were barely legible. If you can't tell the difference between heel and heal, there and their, and fleece or fleas, then I'm sorry, but I'd like to limit it to something a bit more platonic. If I'm ever fortunate enough to be the father of children, I'd prefer them to be raised by a pair of intelligent people. Education ain't just for the classroom, ya know.

[drencrom]

49. spelling

We have to think about that people are different from us, and haven't been taught the same way. Spelling isn't stressed in schools these days - too much rote memorization. The kids won't stay interested. And thus, the English language evolves.